Toy top



F. L. LINDSTROM.

TOY TOP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1920.

,428, Patented Sept. 5,

' INVENTOR.

1 mm} 1. Linblsjfim BY 25mm A TTORNEi Si Patented Sept. 5, 1922. u

UNITED STATES FRANK L. LINDSTBOM, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

TOY TOP.

Application filed November T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that FRANK L. LINDSTROM, a citizen of the United States, and resident. of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Tops,-

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in spinning tops of the general type of those disclosed in my pending applications for patents, Serial Nos. 391,733 and 391,734, filed June 25, 1920, (which have since eventuated in Patents No. 1,368,039 and No. 1,368,040, respectively, under'date of Feb. 8, 1921,) and designed to be operated by a detachable twisting head including a spring which is wound by turning the head portion against and in relation to the body portion of the top.

An important object of the'invention is to produce a top body consisting of a few simply constructed parts which can be easily and quickly assembled, and which, when assembled, will provide a separate stem and spindle in direct alignment with each other and accurately positioned centrally of the top body.

A further important object is to produce a top body equippedwith spring actuated holding means adapted to engage sockets in the twisting head of the top when the head is being operated to twist the spring, and also equipped with means whereby the weight of the top body will be uniformly located about the stem and spindle in order that the top will be nicely balanced and consequently capable of spinning in greatly improved manner.

A still further importantobject is to so construct the upper section, the cap and the stem of the top that the stem and cap can be quickly assembled and rigidly secured to the upper section with a minimum of effort, so that the cap will be positioned centrally upon the upper section and the stem willbe arranged centrally of the top body and in direct alignment with'the spindle comprising the operating point upon which the top s ms. 4 I

Vvith these and other objects in view, the invention resides and consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the acompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that 5, 1920. Serial No. 422,012.

various changes in the form, proportion,

size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departure fromthe spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

Similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the sev eral figures of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and upo which Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional view through the improved spinning top, showing the twisting head and a portion of the stem in elevation; I c Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of thetop body with the lower section removed; and

. Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view of the stem. e

The twisting head of the top of the inventicn'may be of usual construction, including a shell 1.0 having an annular rib 11 for 3 the better engagement of the hand of the operator, a winding spring having an ordinary or preferred hook 12 to successively enter holes in the top body during the twisting operation, and provi'dedin its bottom shown, is secured in any desired manner to the central portionof the lower section, and the upper section is provided with an annular edge portion 19 turned in under and against the annular edge portion of the lower section to fasten said sections to each other. As very clearly shownin Fig. 1, the upper section is provided with a small and a large annular groove, denotedby 20 and 21, respectively, which are arranged centrally of said upper sectionand are concentric.

As will be apparent, the larger annular groove provides a seat for the cap, which is thus arranged centrally upon the upper section of the top body, and the small annular groove provided a seat for the stem, which is thus positioned centrally of the top body and in direct alignment with the spindle carried by the lower section. As very clearly disclosed in Figs, 1 and 2, the bottom bottom face of the twisting head.

walls of both annular grooves are perforated to receive lugs 22 and 23 carried by the cap and stem, respectively. I may be provided. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cap is provided with three lugs and the stem has a pair of lugs. The cap is bent about. as shown to provide a flat, circular portion 24 and a circumferential wall 25, and the flat, circular portion is provided with a circular opening 26 adapted to snugly receive the stem. 27 denotes an annular shoulder on the stem which is adapted to firmly engage the under side of the fiat, circular portion of the eapwhen the stem and cap are seated intheir respective grooves and the lugs havebeen passed through the perforations in the grooves and bent over against the under side of the upper section of the top, body.

The spring actuated engaging pin is adapted to register with the notches in ilhe 28 enotes a collar on the pin, and 29 denotes a spring which surrounds the pin and seats against the collar and the upper section of the top body, respectively, to yieldably hold the pin in operative position. The opposite ends of the pin slide in holes in the cap and upper section, respectively. 80 denotes a counter weightarranged in the top body and positioned on the opposite side of the stem from the spring actuated engaging pin to serve as a balance therefor. The counter weight may be a pin as shown, or it may be of any other configuration. It is preferably secured in the top section and arranged beneath thecap, and is of a weight exactly equal to the combined weight of the engaging pin and its actuating spring so that the weight of the top body will be uniformly positioned about the stem and spindle upon which the top spins.

31'denotes holes in the flat, circular portion of the cap adapted to be entered by the hook of the winding spring during the twisting operation of the head.

It will be seen that I have produced a top body, the parts of which can be very easily made and assembled with each other. The upper section in particular is of much sinip'ler construction than heretofore known, and the cap and stem are capable of being readily assembled with each other and'with the'upper section in accurate position for their purpose, the connections between, all of the parts of the top body being at the same time rigid and dependable.

Having thus fully described the invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure bv Letters Patent, is: I I

v 1. A top body including a lower section. having a centrally positioned spindle, an

'upper section secured thereto and having a pair of centrally positioned, concentrically arranged annular grooves provided with Any number of lugs perforations, a cap and a stem adapted to seat in said grooves, respectively, and lugs carried. bysaidcap and stem adapted to pass through said perforations and to be bent down against said upper section.

2. A top body including a lower section having a centrally positioned spindle, an upper section secured thereto and having a pair of centrally positioned, concentrically arranged annular grooves provided with perforations, a cap and a stem adapted to' seat in said grooves, respectively, and lugs carried by said cap and stem adapted to pass through said perforations and to .be bent down against said upper section, said. cap provided with a flat, c cular portion havingan opening, and said stem fitting said opening and provided with an annular shoulder'resting against the underside of said cap, whereby said cap is positioned centrally of said upper section andsaid stem is rigidly secured centrally of said top body and in direct alignment with said spindle.

3. A. top body including a lower section having a centrally positioned spindle, an upper section having a large and a small annular groove, a cap having a circumferential shoulder adapted to rest in said large annular groove and provided with a circular opening, and a stem adapted to rest in said "small annular groove and to fit said opening, said stem provided with an annular shoulder adapted to engage said cap, and said cap and stem having lugs adapted to pass through said upper section and to be clamped down thereagainst.

i. A top body including a body portion having an attached stemand spindle, of a spring actuated engagingpin' positioned in the body on one side ofits axis andadapted to register'with notches in a twisting head, and a counterweight arranged-in said body at the other side of said axis touniformly position the weight-of the top body about the stem and spindle thereof.

5. A top body formed of sheet metal sections and including a lowersection having a centrally positioned spindle supported solely therein, an upper section I secured thereto to form a hollow body, a cap'seated upon the upper body section and including a top wall'in spaced relation to the top .portion of the top' section and having a .central hole therethrough, a stem the lower end portion ofwhieh is supported Within. the holeof the'cap and on the top section and lugs upon the one part for engaging the adjoining- :parts together.

6. Autop' body 'formed of sheet metal sections and includinga lower section having a centrally positioned spindle supported solely therein, an upper section secured thereto to form ahollow body and provided in spaced relation to the top portion of the top section and having a central hole therethrough, a stem the lower end portion of which is supported within the hole of the cap and on the top section and having lugs extending through said perforations and bent down to secure said parts together.

7. A top body formed of sheet metal sections and including a lower section having a centrally positioned spindle solely supported therein, an upper section secured thereto to form a hollow body and provided with a concentrically arranged annular groove and perforations, a cap seated upon the upper body section and including a top wall in spaced relation to the top portion of the top section and having a central hole therethrough, a stem the lower end portion of which is supported within the hole of the cap and in the annular groove of the top section and having lugs extending through said perforations and bent down to secure said parts tovether.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 2nd day of November, A. D. 1920.

FRANK L. LINDSTROM.

Witnesses:

O. M. NEWMAN, LILLIAN M. ALLING. 

